Arsonist damages toll equipment at Sakonnet River Bridge

Saturday

Aug 17, 2013 at 1:30 PM

The Turnpike and Bridge Authority had received a threatening email Friday night that said "Things are about to happen," according to David Darlington, chairman of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

By Paul Edward Parker

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. -- Someone set fire early Saturday to utility lines powering equipment that, beginning Monday, will collect a controversial toll at the Sakonnet River Bridge.

"This didn't affect the roadway, so the motoring public was never in danger," David Darlington, chairman of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, said in an interview Saturday afternoon. "Nobody using the bridge was ever in jeopardy."

The fire was reported at 1 a.m. Saturday and extinguished by Portsmouth firefighters by 2 a.m., according to Deputy Chief Michael P. O'Brien.

Darlington said that the fire did not disable the toll collection system, which has emergency backups. Had the toll already been in place, the equipment would have continued collections on the backup system during the fire, he said.

Darlington said the Turnpike and Bridge Authority had received a threatening email Friday night. "Things are about to happen," the email said, according to Darlington.

The email and other correspondence has been turned over to the State Police, he said, along with video recordings from the toll equipment building adjacent to where the fire burned. "We have cameras on the building that just went live last Thursday."He declined to say whether cameras caught the arsonist setting the fire. "I'm not commenting directly on what we have."

The culprit opened utility manhole covers, dropped flammable materials and an accelerant inside, and lit it on fire, Darlington said.

Damage caused by the fire had been repaired by Saturday afternoon. "It's fully functional and capable of performing the task on Monday," Darlington said.

He did not have an estimate by Saturday afternoon of how much the repairs cost. "The unfortunate thing there is tollpayers will have to pay the cost of that."

Darlington said the authority is reviewing security arrangements for the bridge.

He also condemned whoever started the fire. "Pretty cowardly," he said. "We're open to the idea that people want to protest ... but this is far beyond civil protest."

Deputy Chief O'Brien, in a statement, also denounced the act. "I would caution people against glorifying or sensationalizing this type of civil disobedience," he said. "During the 60 minutes that fire companies spent at the scene, the Town of Portsmouth was left without fire or medical coverage. Had a second emergency occurred, response would have been extremely delayed due to this individual's actions."